Vanilla

Comorian vanilla, pollinated by hand flower by flower, has competed with Madagascar’s on world markets for over a hundred years.

Vanilla is a climbing orchid with fleshy stems and leaves that clambers up support trees using aerial roots. Its pale yellow flowers last only a few hours and, outside Mexico, have no natural pollinators, so every flower has to be pollinated by hand. The green pods take about 9 months to mature and then go through a weeks-long process of scalding, sweating and sun-drying. Only then do they darken and develop their aroma, thanks to vanillin.

Significance in the country

Together with Madagascar and Réunion, the Comoros belong to the region that produces prized Bourbon vanilla, and for decades they were one of the world’s leading exporters. The plantations are run mainly by smallholders on Grande Comore and Anjouan.

Where it grows

Humid lowlands and lower slopes of all the islands – most plantations are on Grande Comore and Anjouan, fewer on Mohéli.

More: Wikipedia (en) Wikipedia (pl)